Combined skirt-supporter and waist-retainer.



PATEN'I'ED' JAN. 8-, 1907.

W. S. BRAINERD. COMBINED SKIRT SUPPORTER AND WAIST RETAINER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5.1906.

' WINFIELD S. BRAINERD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COMBINED SKlRT-SUPPORTER AND WAIST-RETAINER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 19.07;

Application filed November 5, 1906. Serial No. 342,066.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WINFIELD S. BRAIN- ERD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Skirt-Supporter and Waist-Retainer, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive skirtsupporter and waist-retainer which can be easily applied and worn without inconvenience or discomfort and which will prevent the flap or apron used in connection therewith and to which the waist is secured from sliding toward one or the other end of the supporter and gathering in a bunch and causing the supporterplate to shift from its proper position, much to the annoyance of the wearer. This I accomplish by the means hereinafter fully described and as particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention, showing it applied to the human form. Fig. 2 is a side view of the combined supporter and retainer drawn to its natural scale. Fig. 3 is a view showing several forms of irregular edges capable of use in connection with the horizontal elongated slot of my invention. Fig. 4 is a view similarto that shown in 2, but with the other parts in connection with which it is used applied thereto.

Referring to the drawin s, A'represents a waist-retainer and skirt-ho der consisting of a thin strip of flexible metal or other suitable material, which is approximately about three and one-half inches long and about threefourths of an inch. wide. This strip is provided at its ends with vertically-elongated slots a a and is provided, preferably, nearer its lower edge between slots 0. a with a horizontally-elongated opening or slot 1), that preferably extends from near one slot c to the other. The lower edge 0 of slot b, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, is provided with a series of serrations, the dip of which between the apices is curved. This series of serrations a may extend from one end of said horizontal opening I) to the other, or, if desired, said serrations may be made to extend along a portion or portions of the lower edge of said slot 1), and instead of the serrations being shaped as shown in Fig. 2 they may be made as shown in the diagrams 2, 3, or 4. (Shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.) In fact this slot may be made with any kind of an irregularity along its lower edge that will prevent the cloth of an apron B, (which consists of a strip of cloth of about four inches in length and corresponding in width to the length. of slot 1) and is ordinarily held in place by a safetypin (1,) from slipping toward either end of slot 1), and thereby prevent the supporter-strip from shifting out of the horizontal position to which the wearer may have adjusted it in order to make the garments hang gracefully and keep theclothes from assuming an undesirable twist that will spoil the symmetrical and balanced appearance at the back which good dressers strive to attain, and also avoid the undesirable gathering or bunching of the fabric of the garment away from the center of the stri IE use a tape-belt D, or, in fact, any belt of suitable fabric whose width does not .exceed the length of the vertically-elongated opening a, is threaded through said slots a in the manner shown in the drawings and then fastened around the waist of the wearer in such position that it will come about under the waist-band of the skirt and so that the said supporter and retainer A will be opposite the central placket-opening in the back of said skirt. The extension of the waist below the belt D is secured by a safety-pin C to the apron B, substantially as shown in Fig. 1, and

then after the placket-opening of the skirt is closed the hooks d d, located on the inside of the skirt-band near the placket, are caught over the upper edge of the supporter and retainer, and thus hold the back of the skirt up so as to prevent the exposure of the waistband, while at the same time drawing the waist downward and preventing the waist gathering horizontally waist-line.

What I claim as new is-- As an article of manufacture, a combined skirt-supporter and waist-retainer comprising a horizontally-elongated strip of suitable flexible 'material having a vertically-elongated slot at each end, and a horizontally elongated slot between said vertical slots in the back abovethe near the lower edge of the strip, the lower J edge of which is provided with serrations, a belt of suitable fabric threaded through said vertical slots, an apron inserted through said horizontally-elongated slot and prevented by said serrations from slipping toward the ends of the same, and means for securing the lapping ends of said apron to the waist.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 1st day of November, I0 A. D. 1906.

WINFIELD S. BRAINERD. [L.

Witnesses:

FRANK D. TnoMAsoN, E. K. LUNDY. 

